title: The effect of lumbar support on the ultrasound measurements of trunk muscles: a single-blinded randomized controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effect of lumbopelvic belts on the thickness of lateral abdominal muscles and the cross-sectional area (CSA) of lumbar multifidus (LM) muscles.
  
  
  METHODS
  A single-blinded randomized controlled trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  An academic and tertiary care referral spine and sports medicine center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty healthy volunteers with no history of low back pain in the previous year.
  
  
  METHODS
  The subjects were allocated into belt and control groups. Lumbar belts were given to the subjects in the belt group, and they were asked to use the belts during the study period except during sleeping hours. The subjects were assessed at baseline and at 4 and 8 weeks.
  
  
  METHODS
  The thickness of lateral abdominal muscles and the CSA of the LM muscles were measured by ultrasound with the patient in the hook-lying position on an examination table.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The thickness of lateral abdominal muscles and the CSA of LM muscles on both sides decreased significantly among healthy subjects in the belt group after 8 weeks.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study show that lumbopelvic belts might influence the ultrasonographic measurements of lateral abdominal and LM muscles and thereby spine stability.
authors.affiliation: Sports Medicine Research Center, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences; Spine Division, Noorafshar Rehabilitation & Sports Medicine Hospital; and Brain and Spinal Injury Repair Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran(∗).
authors.forename: Mohsen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rostami
authors.affiliation: Sports Medicine Research Center, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences; and Brain and Spinal Injury Repair Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran(†).
authors.forename: Pardis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Noormohammadpour
authors.affiliation: Sports Medicine Research Center, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran(‡).
authors.forename: Amir Hossein
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Sadeghian
authors.affiliation: Sports Medicine Research Center, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran(§).
authors.forename: Mohammad Ali
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Mansournia
authors.affiliation: Sports Medicine Research Center, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, No. 7, Al-e-Ahmad Highway, P.O. Box 14395-578, Tehran, Iran; Spine Division, Noorafshar Rehabilitation & Sports Medicine Hospital; and Brain and Spinal Injury Repair Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran(‖). Electronic address: ramin_kordi@tums.ac.ir.
authors.forename: Ramin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kordi
mesh_terms: D000009:Abdominal Muscles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000502:physiology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D007593:Joint Instability / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009989:Orthotic Devices; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D014463:Ultrasonography